Hi all

Will try to keep this as brief as I can received a phone call from work (nhs staff nurse) last may stating I was suspended for not following a procedure correctly . I had been shown this method of doing things by a senior staff nurse on the ward and all the nurses were doing it in the way I was suspended for.

I made the manager aware of this on the phone call and waited and waited...

Never received a letter detailing reasons for suspension, month or so later got letter for investigation meeting and went with my union rep. Was told I would find out in the next week if I was going to disciplinary.

Waited and waited, called them up and kept getting told we will contact you soon.

Letter arrives in AUgust to go to o.h to see if I am fit to go to disciplinary and beg them to move this forward.

Still hear nothing from work, go into early labour 5 wks early end september and onto m

My six months maternity full pay is ending so I tell h.r I want to return to work and discover they never knew that I was suspended. Send them a strong email detailing how company did not even follow its own basic policies of sending letter to confirm suspension

Finally hear back from manager who suspended me to arrange a meeting with her. I asked what it was about and she stated she had been told that I did not receive a letter regarding suspension and she was therefore not in a position to invoke it now! She wanted to meet around my shifts to "close the disciplinary matter".

Now I am due back next week and she is now saying she is still in discussion with h.r regarding my return to work and I can use my leave from last year( could not take because of suspension) until it is resolved.

Should I have to use my leave in this way and what could these "discussions" be about do you think?

Is there a double jeapordy rule or can I be suspended again (lawfully this time)?

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received xx

Hello

There's no double jeopardy rule, but if they want to "close" the matter rather than invite you to a disciplinary hearing, I would hope that was positive news!

It could simply be to facilitate your return to work. If you're worried, ask if you need to bring a companion/witness.

I am so confused and frustrated by this whole thing. Email yesterday said that she was talking to h.r and resolution would happen in a week to ten days and I could use my holidays (not happy about that). I sent an email back to ask what the discussions were about and the possible outcomes. Today received reply saying her secretary would contact me tomorrow to arrange a meeting to review the allegations of last year and discuss my return to work. I am feeling very uneasy about the whole situation and feel that something dodgy is going on.

How will I know if this is going to be a disciplinary hearing in disguise giving me no time to prepare.

If I am given a warning do I have to sign and accept it? Finally can I raise a grievance about the mishandling of the entire process?

My professional reputation has been damaged and I no longer have any faith in my employers to treat me fairly in the future.

They have to put the allegations to you and invite you by letter, giving you the right to be accompanied by your TU rep or a work colleague for a disciplinary. If its an investigatory meeting they may catch you "off guard".

You could raise a grievance, yes, but the risk there is that it will unnecessarily drag on the process! They can require you to take annual leave if they give you twice as much notice - if not, maybe push for a return to work date.